Regulator for dynamo-electric machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. R. PINNEY.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. No. 267,859. Patented Nov; 21,1882.

w messes lAzen m' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. R. PINNEY.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES.

Ratented Nov. 21

N, PETERS, Phnlo-Lnmgmpivnn Washmglon. 0. c.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH R. FINNEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATOR FOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,859, dated November21, 1882,

Application filed July 18, 1852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH It. FINNEY, of Pittsburg, in thecounty ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Regulators for Dynamo- Electric Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

My improvement is designed to automatically regulate the amount ofelectric current supplied by a machine or other producer of electricity,so as to render it exactly proportional to the demands on the circuit. Iwill now describe it as applied to a magneto-electric or dynamo-electricmachine by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of the commutator of a Well-known form of machine with myimproved attachments. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, showingalso an end elevation of my improved regulator. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of my improved regulator. Fig. 4 is a plan view of theregulator, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a side view of thecontactsegments of the commutator-brush lever.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The end of the armature of the machine is shown at a, and 1) indicatesthe commutator. The commutator-brushes c are secured in arms (1, whichproject from the lever (I, and at their rear ends are sustained by asegmental support, 01 The lever (Z is mounted on the armature-shaft aand turns freely thereon, in order to change the position of the brushes0 on the commutator. The support (1 rests and moves uponfriction-rollers e, secured to the bed of the machine, and its purposeis to keep the arms d in a true horizontal position, while that of therollers e is to reduce the friction so as to have the brushes move withease. The support d is made of an insulating material, or an insulatoris so placed as to prevent the shortcircuiting of the machine at thatpoint. 011

the arms (1 are segments f, bearing against which are conductors g,which lead to the poles h of the machine. The ends 9 of the conductors gare pivoted or hinged to the latter, and are held against the convexfaces of the segments f by springs 9 The contact devices just describedform the (No model.)

subject-matter of a separate application for a patent.

Projecting vertically from the top of the commutator-lever d is an arm,2', having a grooved segment, i, on its upper end, and fastened to oneend of the lever d is a cordor wire, 7a, which passes over a sleeve orpulley, attached to the bed of the machine, and extends thence at rightangles to the shaft to to a spring, k to which it is fastened.

At the side of the machine opposite to the commutator is the regulator,which consists of an axle or shaft capable of being turned by a magneticneedle or bar mounted thereon, energized by an electro-magnet formed bya coil of the circuit-wire or a secondary circuit therefrom, and havinga suitable core.

Upon asuitableframe or stand, l,is a flanged bobbin or spool, m, of ovalor flattened form, and preferably made of brass or copper. In thecentral opening of this spool is an iron core, 0. Extending verticallythrough the spool and journaled in its sides is a shaft or axle, q, onthe end of which is a wheel or pulley, q.

Mounted rigidly on the shaft, near to the spool, is an iron bar orneedle, r.

011 the upper edges of the flanges m of the spool m is a disk or plate,m designed to be provided with a scale to indicate the degree ofdeflection of the needle. One of its circuitwires 1) is led from themachine and wrapped on the spool the desired number of times, and thenruns out to form the circuit. The effect of the passage of the currentthrough the coils is to energize the needle and cause it to turn from aposit-ion parallel with the coils to one at an angle thereto. This turnsthe pulley q, and the latter being connected to the arm z'by a cord, 7,the lever (I will be drawn around by it, and the brushes 0 be movedaround on the commutator into position to takeoff a greater amount ofthe current generated in the machine. The grooved segment t" causes thecord 1'' to be held in a horizontal position as the arm turns on theshaft a. As, however, in the ordinary galvanometer the motive power ofthe needle decreases with its deflection, I have placed the core 0inside of the coil, and thereby reverse the ordinary operation an dobtain greatly-increased power at the point of greatestdeflection, andproduce a constant and regular tension of the pulley t" on thecommutator-lever. The power is further increased by the use of polarextensions 0, placed or formed on the ends of the core 0, on the sidenext to the needle, which extensions tend greatly to increase the forceof the magnetic field at those points, with corresponding influence 0nthe needle.

The dial-plate m is provided with an adj ustable stop, 3, which isdesigned to indicate the point of greatest) deflection capable of beingproduced by the current supplied to the circuit, and to act as a stop toprevent the needle from passing that point. The utility of thisconstruction consists in the fact that the stop limits the movement ofthe brushes on the commutator, and therefore prevents their mov ing topoints on the commutator which would supply more current than is neededfor the circuit, and obviates all danger of burning up the lamps. Thusit acts as a safety device. The spring 1s fastened to a tension-screw,t, which passes through the frame l, and is provided with a nut, t, forthe purpose of regulating the tension of the spring to correspond withthe power of the needle, so that it may be capable of restoring thebrushes to posi-' tion upon the return or partial return of the needleto its normal position.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: The power of thedeflection of the needle being proportioned to the resistance of thecircuit in which the regulator is placed, supposing such to be alight-circuit, with one or any given number of lights arranged in amultiple arc, the throwing in of additional lights into the circuit willreduce the resistance and cause the more rapid movement of the currentthrough the magnet-coils, and a consequent increase of magnetism in thecore and a greater deflection of the needle. This turns the pulley g,which, by means of the cord 2' and arm 1', draws around the lever d andchanges the position of the brushes 0 on the commutator, so as to takeoff more of the current. This operation is lepeated whenever anadditional light or lights are thrown in until the point of greatestdeflection is attained. Whenever a light or lights are out out of thecircuit the resistance is increased and the magnetism of theelectro-magnet correspondingly diminished. This reduces the degree ofdeflection of-the needle more or less, in accordance with the number oflights out out, and causes the pulley q to turn backward a correspondingdistance, permitting the spring k to retract the lever d and move thecommutator-brushes into a position to reduce the amount of current takenfrom the machine.

It is apparent that my invention is applicable not only tolight-circuits, but also to electric circuits for power and otherpurposes. It is also apparent that by merely changing the mechanicaldevices for applying the power of the deflected needle or bar it may beadapted to the automatic regulation of the current from other forms ofmachines in which the brushes are differently mounted from the oneherein illustrated, and also from storage or other batteries.

As illustrated herein the contact-brushes of the machine are moved inone direction by the needle and in the opposite direction byasprin". Ican, however, operate them entirely by the needle by continuing theshaft q downward and placing a pulley on its lower end and connectingthe cord kreversely to a pulley placed thereon, so that the reverserotation of the shaft caused by the return of the needle toward itsnormal position will act through the lower pulley and the cord 79 on thelever. This construction is equally applicable to moving the contactdevices of other machines and of batteries, always bearing in mind thatthe mechanical construction must be adapted to the particular form andstructure to which it is applied. If desired, a weight may be usedinstead of the spring 70 As described the machine is applicable tolights arranged in multiple arcs but for use with lights arranged inseries the position of the cord 4? and spring k should be reversed, sothat upon the turningin ot'additionallights, wherebythe resistance ofthe eircuitisincreased and the power of the electro-magnet over theneedle is decreased, the spring 70 shall draw the brush-lever 01 aroundand move the brushes upon the commutator in the direction to increasethe flow of the current from the machine. When, on the other hand, thenumber of lights in circuit is decreased, the power of the electromagnetincreases accordingly and produces a proportional deflection of theneedle, which, acting through the cord 6 will overcome the spring 70 andmove the commutator-brushes, so as to reduce the flow of the current.

By the term in the circuit, as heretofore used in this specificationwhen referring to the electro-magnet, I have intended to and hereby doinclude leaks and shunts, as well as the main circuit, as it will beevident to those skilled in the art that there is no new principleinvolved in such changes of position.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of an electro-magnet arranged in the circuit, ahelix, and adeflecting bar or needle mounted rigidly on a shaft andactuated by the electro-magnet and helix, with the movable collectingdevices of a machine or other generator of electricity, substantially asand for the purposes described.

2. The combination of an electro-magnet arranged in the circuit, ahelix, and a deflectingbar or needle mounted rigidlyon ashaft andactuated by the electro-magnet and helix, with the movable collectingdevices of a machine or other generator of electricity for moving thesame in one direction, andaspring or weight for moving them in theopposite direction, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of an electro-magnet placed in the circuit, a helix,a deflecting bar or needle, a shaft capable of being turned by theneedle when deflected by the power of the I deflecting needle arrangedto vibratein aplane electro-magnet, a pulley on said shaft, a cordconnecting said pulley with an arm on the commutator -brush lever, thecommutatorbrush lever, and a spring connected to the lever and having atension in the reverse direction of that of the said pulley,substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the commutator-brush lever, arm 2, grooved segment11, and cord i substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination of an electro-magnet arranged in the circuit, ahelix, a bar or needle capable of being turned or deflected by the poweroftheelectro-magnet and helix,and a stop to limit the movement of theneedle, with the commutator-brush lever and devices c0nnecting saidlever with the needle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

parallel to the core of the magnet, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

7. In a regulator for dynamo-electric machines, the combination, with adeflecting needle and its helix, of a spring arranged to resist thedeflection of the needle and an electro-magnet arranged to attract theneedle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. The combination of a helix provided with a core and a deflectingneedle, whereby the needle is deflected by the current of electricitypassing through the helix and attracted by the magnetism of the core,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of July,A. D. 1882.

JOSEPH R. FINNEY.

Vitnesses:

T. B. KERR, JOHN S. KENNEDY.

